Prime Minister leads tributes to former Scarborough Evening News journalist, Andrew Norfolk
A former Scarborough Evening News journalist lauded as one of the finest reporters of his generation has died.
Andrew Norfolk, who has died at the age of 60 following a period of ill health, was the journalist who exposed the grooming gangs scandal in Rotherham while working at The Times.
His reporting for The Times from 2011, which won him the George Orwell Prize for Journalism, revealed a pattern of mainly white teenage girls being groomed by gangs of adult men of Pakistani heritage after a growing number of prosecutions around the UK.
It led to an inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, which covered the period 1997 to 2013 and made a “conservative estimate” that around 1,400 children were sexually exploited over 16 years.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, who was director of public prosecutions when the scandal was revealed, said Andrew was “absolutely integral” in helping to change the law so more grooming gang members could be convicted.
The Prime Minister said: “He wasn’t just an incredibly talented reporter, at The Times and elsewhere, he was driven by the desire to call our attention to injustice and protect the most vulnerable.
“His passion for supporting the victims of grooming gangs shone through, and he was absolutely integral to making sure we could change the rules to increase convictions of the vile perpetrators.”
Andrew was born in Canterbury in 1965. His parents David Norfolk, a headmaster and Methodist lay preacher, and Olive moved to Yorkshire in 1976 when David was made headmaster of the independent Ashville School in Harrogate.
Andrew’s family moved to Scarborough after his father retired in 1987.
Andrew went to Durham University, where he studied English, before beginning his journalism career at the Scarborough Evening News in 1989.
The first paper he worked on was actually the Filey Mercury, the weekly sister of the Evening News, and even in this relatively small pond, he was soon making waves, and his unwavering and uncompromising belief in doing what he thought was right was already there - it was not unknown for him to get into huge rows about stories with his seniors and on at least one occasion this led to him storming out of the editor’s office.
But his obvious talent was quickly recognised and he was moved onto the main evening paper, initially on features, but soon being transferred to news.
Andrew quickly became a key member of the news team both in terms of work and in terms of friendship
Damian Holmes, who was a reporter on the Evening News with Andrew in the early 90s, said: “Andrew was the finest journalist I have ever known, but first and foremost, he was a wonderful friend.
“When we worked together at the Scarborough Evening News we were part of a hard-working, and to coin a cliche, hard-drinking group. We were very close knit and Andrew was a key part of that.
“Andrew was always the one we knew would go far. He brought the rigour, commitment, passion and brilliant writing that shone out at The Yorkshire Post and The Times to any story he tackled on the comparatively provincial Evening News.
“Even back then, those holding the reins of power locally knew that if ‘Norfo’ was on the case there was no point trying to hide things or bluff it out.
“He was fiercely loyal and protective of his close friends and the bravery, compassion and uncompromising integrity that characterised his reporting were absolutely integral to who he was as a person.
“He was by far the best journalist I have ever known. He will be hugely missed.”
Andrew was a great writer, but learned a lot about the ‘street-wise’ tactics of news reporting from chief reporter, the late Chris Nixon.
One of Andrew’s former editors at Scarborough, Neil Speight, said: “I remember telling Andrew in my first couple of weeks at SEN that he had to rethink his priorities and start learning about what the job was really all about and what a difference good journalism could make.
“He had a great mentor in Chris Nixon who shared many of the tricks of the trade. I am sure they will be having a scotch together somewhere today, looking down on those of us that are left. What is for sure ‘Norfo’ certainly made a difference.
“And much of what was almost even more important work that Andrew did in later years was not attributed to him, in particular work involving the Middle East where he exposed major concerns and shocking practices, particularly around Qatar and terrorism financing. A Times colleague recalled: ‘He never got the credit for so much of his best work’.”
Dozens of his former colleagues from Scarborough have paid tribute to Andrew on social media.
Former chief photographer David Kettlewell said he was “a truly exceptional journalist whose latent talent as a trainee at the SEN promised much. Wow, he did not disappoint. RIP Andrew.”
And Tim Chalmers, who worked on the sports desk and who accompanied Andrew and others on many nights out, said of Andrew: “Surely the finest investigative journalist of his generation and such a great friend during the halcyon days of fun and laughter on Aberdeen Walk.”
In 1995 Andrew moved on to The Yorkshire Post where he got his first experience of investigative journalism with a series of award-winning reports on a very different local scandal – serial corruption at Doncaster Council.
Andrew moved to The Times in 2000 and, after 24 stellar years, retired last autumn as his health began to fail.
For his work on the story he won the Paul Foot Award and was named Journalist of the Year at the 2014 British Journalism Awards.